In recent years, even some peripheral devices such as MFPs (Multi Function Peripherals) including scanners and printers include a Web browser.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-127503 discloses a screen provided by a Web server being displayed on a Web browser of an MFP, and accepting various instructions from the user as an operation screen. According to Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-127503, the Web server provides the operation screen used to input instructions required to use respective functions included in the MFP. That is, the user of the MFP inputs an instruction to the MFP via the operation screen displayed on the Web browser. Then, the Web browser of the MFP notifies the Web server of the input instruction. The Web server which received the notification requests the MFP to execute various processes in accordance with the content of the instruction input from the user. Then, in response to this request, the MFP executes the requested processes. In this way, all menu data required to operate the MFP need not be held in the MFP, and the menu data need only be changed on the Web server.
On the other hand, as the relationship between an information processing apparatus and Web server, a plurality of information processing apparatuses are normally connected to a single Web server. For this reason, when the plurality of information processing apparatuses simultaneously make connection attempts, the load on the Web server becomes heavy. In such case, a service substitution method described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-288285 is available. According to Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-288285, the status of the Web server is monitored, and when it is determined that the Web server cannot process requests due to a heavy load, a substitute server accepts only requests. Then, when the Web server has recovered, the substitute server sends the requests to the Web server.
However, the system described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-127503 can be used not only to simply manage the menus but also to customize the screen. In consideration of such a system, all the operation screens of the MFP can be handled by screens displayed by the Web browser. In this case, however, the following problem is posed.
For example, when normal communication with the Web server is disrupted due to a network or Web server problem, a communication error screen is displayed on the Web browser of the MFP. However, a copy function basically included in the MFP is to be enabled even in an offline state disconnected from the Web server since it does not use a network.
According to Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-127503, when the MFP cannot establish a connection to the Web server, an error message is displayed. Alternatively, since the MFP retries a connection until it is established, such problem cannot be solved. On the other hand, according to Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-288285, when the MFP cannot establish a connection to the Web server, it cannot transfer any request even to the substitute server. Hence, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-288285 cannot solve this problem, either.